Sexton pays the Price as David sets sights on higher glory

Liverpool’s unbeaten David Price cemented his reputation as Britain’s most exciting Heavyweight prospect since Lennox Lewis last night with a crushing 4^th round knockout victory over Sam Sexton.

In doing so, the 6′ 8″ fighter became Liverpool’s first British and Commonwealth Heavyweight champion in front of a packed out Aintree crowd.

Price, a lifelong Liverpool fan, strode out to Gerry and the Pacemakers You’ll Never Walk Alone receiving vociferous support from the crowd.

Once the bell rang, Price set about systematically taking Sexton apart with a strong jab and effective body-to-head combinations.

Sexton, the defending British and Commonwealth champion, is of pedigree having lost to Dereck Chisora twice, latterly via 9^th round knockout almost two years ago.

This fact makes Price’s earlier stoppage all the more impressive and suggests he is more than capable of taking on Europe and, eventually, the World scene.

He dropped Sexton twice before laying him flat on his back with a crunching right-hook following a good body combination.

The 2008 Olympic bronze medallist improves his record to 13-0 with 11 knockouts and experts are starting to wonder when, not if, he should take on Klitschko.

Fellow Liverpudlian boxer Tony Bellew said in the pre-fight program that if he were Price, he’d jump at the chance to fight Vitali.

Price’s promoter Frank Maloney disagreed after the fight, saying: “Its all about time and patience, he’s learning and he’s going to keep taking his time.” He added: “He ticks 10/10 boxes.”

Speaking on the same matter, Price said: “I believe that [a Klitschko fight] is my destiny… I haven’t done a thing wrong since I’ve turned pro… I’m not the finished article yet.”

So with a Klitschko fight not imminent, experts are left to speculate as to his next possible opponent.

Following his sparring with undefeated European heavyweight champion Kubrat Pulev, a fight with the 31-year-old Bulgarian could well be the most possible option.

Other potential adversaries include: Tyson Fury, who has repeatedly dodged a fight with Price and whilst he called Price a “bum”, he must surely think otherwise following this showing; Robert Helenius who controversially beat Dereck Chisora by split decision last December and will be looking for his next bout; lastly, he could fight the winner of the David Haye v Dereck Chisora meeting, but as both fighters are unlikely to get a British licence any time soon, and it is even more unlikely that Price will want to have his name associated with either fighter.

One must also wonder what is next in store for Sam Sexton. He must realise that he is not competitive even at the national heavyweight division and will likely be used as a measuring stick for more up-and-coming heavyweights.

But for the meantime all should know that there is a 6′ 8″ Liverpudlian heavyweight who has the opportunity to be the very best British heavyweight since Lennox Lewis.

In Frank Maloney, he has a man behind him who knows what he is doing and has seen it all before with Lewis. Maloney can create the right path for Price.

The man with dynamite in his gloves must be licking his lips at the possibility of taking on the World’s best fighters and put his name down in Pugilism’s history.

 

Theophane loses belt in Hamilton upset

On the undercard, huge underdog Darren Hamilton shocked the landscape of British boxing last night with an unlikely victory over national light-welterweight champion Ashley Theophane.

And whilst Theophane bemoaned the judge’s scorecards, the awkward Hamilton was fully deserving of the unanimous 117-112, 115-113, 118-113.

Light-welterweight Prizefighter winner Adil Anwar won a British title eliminator against Dave Ryan, setting up a possible meeting with Hamilton.

 

Kessler wins despite being Green to Light-heavyweight

Denmark’s Mikkel Kessler won his first fight at Light-heavyweight against Allan Green in a Copenhagen bout.

Kessler – who has not fought in 11 months – was knocked down by the powerful Green in the first round, but clambered up to claim a fourth round knockout.

The man who defeated Carl Froch could now go on to take on a number of Light-heavyweight fighters such as Andre Ward, Chad Dawson, Tavoris Cloud or Jean Pascal, maybe even Bernard Hopkins.

 

Plenty of Solis for Airich

Heavyweight contender Odlanier Solis won a unanimous decision over Konstantin Airich.

The man who a bad knee injury whilst fighting Vitali Klitschko just over a year ago made his comeback successfully against the little-known Airich in Texas.

 Adam Appleton